KHAR, Aug 2: The political administration, tribal elders and parliamentarians have agreed to hold talks with local militant commanders and formed a jirga to restore peace in the troubled Bajaur Agency, officials said.

The jirga comprising 150 members drawn from all the tribes and clans was constituted during a meeting of tribal maliks, elders, agency councillors and parliamentarians here on Thursday.The meeting was convened by the political administration to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation and work out a strategy to restore peace.

Speaking at the meeting, assistant political agent Nawagai subdivision Mohammad Jamil said that the tribal people would honour their pledge made a few months back with the government that they would not allow militant activities in the agency.

He said that the tribesmen were duty-bound by their pledge to take action against the elements who had been attacking security forces and government installations and were disturbing peace in the area.

He said that the Mamond tribes had failed to keep their pledge as attacks on government installations in their areas had been intensified and the administration was exercising utmost restraint in the interest of common man. The movement of masked gunmen had disappointed the authorities, he added.

The meeting was also addressed by prominent elders from Tarkhani and Uthmankhel tribes, including MNA Maulana Mohammad Sadiq, Senator Maulana Abdur Rashid, Malik Abdul Aziz, Mian Masood Jan, Malik Mohammad Akbar and Maulana Saeedullah. They said that the restoration of peace was imperative for development and progress in the tribal agency.MNA Sadiq and Senator Rashid said that the law and order situation had deteriorated after Americans carried out bombings in the tribal area last year.

The presence of the US forces across the border was a factor behind the poor law and order here, they said.

They also criticised President Musharraf’s policies, saying that the government’s support to the US forces in the war on terror in Afghanistan had also negative impacts on the peace and law and order in Bajaur Agency.

The meeting put forward suggestions to the political authorities and said that the talks should be initiated with the militant commanders to refrain from disturbing peace and creating problems for 700,000 people of the tribal agency.

It was also decided that the 150-member jirga would leave for talks with the Taliban leaders on Friday and would submit a report to the government on Aug 6.